Kaduna: The Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, has stated that the recently implemented border management system significantly enhances the profiling of travelers. This is achieved through the use of interactive Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) technologies.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nandap made these remarks during a two-day interactive session focused on government-citizen engagement in Kaduna. The session was themed ‘Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Unity.’ The Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, further elaborated that the border management system enables NIS to accurately profile individuals traveling to Nigeria before their departure from their respective countries, thereby fortifying national security.
Nandap explained that the system allows airlines to send passenger data to Nigeria, enabling comprehensive profiling before entry. This initiative is aimed at safeguarding national security. She also mentioned that the NIS plans to prioritize border communities in its ongoing recruitment exercise, a strategy intended to strengthen relations with these communities and enhance collaboration and intelligence gathering.
The NIS CG emphasized the importance of engaging with border communities, highlighting President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the recruitment process. This process involves working closely with community leaders to identify credible candidates from border communities to join the service, thereby securing critical information and collaboration essential for immigration officers’ success.
Nandap also addressed the registration of migrants entering Nigeria through land borders from ECOWAS countries. Over 30 control posts, primarily located in the northern region, are responsible for this registration. The collected data is integrated with the NIS Command and Control Centre in Abuja, and the service’s border surveillance facilities operate round-the-clock to provide real-time updates on border movements.
Additionally, the Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Sokoto, Borno, Zamfara, Kebbi, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa, and other northern corridors have been refurbished to improve their effectiveness in combating cross-border crimes and irregular migration. The high-level forum was attended by governors, ministers, service chiefs, and other top government officials, with President Bola Tinubu represented by Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.